


At the party.

by MyQuirkIsBeingSuperKinky



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boys In Love, Eventual Smut, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Post-Break Up, Two Shot, Working Out My Feelings Through Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 06:56:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19168099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyQuirkIsBeingSuperKinky/pseuds/MyQuirkIsBeingSuperKinky
Summary: Post break up with Smoker has Ace itching for a good night out, but he ends up getting spoiled when said ex shows up with someone new.Feeling pissed, he walks away and into a whole new person, literally.Now Ace finds himself with a card, a cat, an ex lover, and a pursuer. All he wanted was to get laid, what will he do now?Vet!Ace x Businessman!Marco





	1. The party, the cat and the breakup.

**Author's Note:**

> Haha sorry for the awful summary.

The party was terrible.

Yes, it was what Ace technically wanted. What he predicted honestly. But, he couldn't go through with his main reason for going to the party. Thus making it terrible.

Finding someone to take his mind away from his ex and take his ass home. Or, he could take them home, doesn't really matter as long as he gets laid. Is harder than Ace expected.

Ace sighs, takes a swig of his foamy beer and tosses the can away. He grimaces at the horrible taste and moves on to find whoever is offering free shots of hard liquor.

There's a lot of drunk adults and young adults, he falls in the latter category. He's a vet, works with animals because he found a passion for it rather then his original plans to become a police officer. That bit doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of his quest, but he doesn't know it yet.

Ace is frustrated from the lack of eye catching men at the party. Sure there's a bunch of good looking men roaming around but he doesn't feel an attraction to them at all. He blames his undeniably handsome sex god of an ex. 

Fuck that asshole, he says in his head as he scouts the area. 

There is a whole lot of everything thrown about the backyard, a congratulations sign strung up above a canopy where the event hosts sat at. A roaring fire off to the side with tons of chairs and a modest sized pool on the other side. On the patio he notes a pingpong table with cups, darts on the wall and a huge soundsystem behind all of that. 

It's a nice setup. He admits that much, the atmosphere is rowdy and smooth, but he still feels bitter. 

Mainly because his ex is there sporting a new lover, only after breaking up a week ago, and the lack of people willing to hit on him. The ones who do are either women or not interesting enough for him to bite. 

He wants, no, needs someone better than his ex to entertain him. It can't just be anyone however, they have to be everything his ex is and so much more. 

Like a lovely chiseled jaw with scruff. A strong nose and full set of lips. Broad and fucking built like a tank. Ace loves it rough, loves to be taken control of in bed. 

Smoker did that a lot. Not anymore apparently since he was fooling around behind Aces' back for months. It was a wonder why Smoker never asked for sex anymore, he had someone else. Didn't mean the bastard had to leave him blue balled. 

"Fucking shit." The ravenette curses. 

Why does his love life always end up being crappy? Ace has no idea, but his mother always said "you can't look for love, love will find you." He tried to follow that, yet he had her attitude which made it difficult at the same time.

He was a wild fire, untamed and free. Yet vulnerable to be put out by the changing tides. Little did he know that tonight he'd be swallowed whole by a tsunami.

"Excuse me?" A feminine voice shouted to him over the music and drunken chatter all around. 

Ace raised a brow, took his hood off to hear better and turn his head to look at the person. 

"Can I help you?" He asks.

The persons shifts on their feet and looks around. "I know almost everyone here, but who are you?" It's an innocent question, he can tell that much. Maybe this person is one of the hosts? 

"Ace. Portgas D. Ace." He extends a hand and the, he figures from an opening yukata, man's hand. They share polite smiles and chat a bit. 

He learns his name is Izo, and the real reason he came up to Ace was because he looked bored and as the organizer of the party, Izo could not have that. Ace finds it endearing, but he knows Izo isn't single from the ring on his finger so he doesn't try to hit on him. Izo is not his type either, but he is a very pretty man. 

"Come, come." He says, tugging Ace to the fire pit where a couple of guests are milling around. He leaves him there and says he'll fetch them some drinks. 

So now Ace is here, watching the fire burn. By himself, next to a bunch of couples, doing couple things and their third wheels also standing awkwardly by the fire. He would try to talk but then from his periphery vision he can see Smoker walking directly to the fire with his lover in hand. 

Oh shit. No fucking way in hell. 

Was that Hina? The fucker. 

He should have known that she was not just a pretty face hanging around, she was Smokers pretty face behind his back. Oh the audacity of that asshole.

Ready to leave without anyone, he gathered his bearings and was already turned on his heel when a hard surface stopped him in his tracks. He felt a little drizzle of something on his cheek and he instantly smelt the alcohol. Opening his mouth to curse at the object, his words died the moment he saw it was a chest he ran into. 

A wide, smooth chest that bore an eye catching tattoo at that. His abdomen was even better to look at too, with all the tight muscles flexing with each breath he took. 

"You okay?" His voice wasn't as deep as Ace suspected from such a man of this figure, but it was oddly fitting for him. 

"Y-yeah. Kinda dazed me there for a bit." Ace chuckles, wiping his cheek and tilts his head to look up at the man. 

"Wow." 

The man chuckled, amusement in his Caribbean blue eyes. 

"Wow huh? That's new." He says.

Ace feels his face heat up, the blood in his cheeks burning. 

"I-I ah...going now." He ducks his head in his hoodie and mumbles an apology before walking away completely embarrassed.

"Hey wait!" The man grabs his wrist, successfully stopping him in his tracks. Ace feels his heart skip a beat. The hand holding him feels strong, his grip is tight enough not to slip but if Ace wanted to he could pull away. He doesn't do that however, the man is too distracting. 

"Are you Ace?" 

"Uh, yeah." 

The man bites his bottom lip and then offers a gentle smile. 

"Izo was right."

Ace knits his brows together and tilts his head further back. "Huh?" He says stupidly.

The man just smiles wider and shoves a drink in Aces' hand. 

"You're just my type." 

The breath is caught in Aces throat at the overt flirt. Then he grins and suddenly feels extremely shy. 

"Really?" 

He nods. 

"Really really." 

Ace laughs at the reference. Man, he already likes the guy. His ex would never reference movies, or quote lyrics from songs. Nothing of the sort, he'd just repeat inspiration quotes and cheap justice lines or something. 

It feels like not even a minute passes by until someone whisks away Marco, he formally introduced himself after Ace called him something ridiculous, and the ravenette is left with a half empty cup of something delicious all by himself. 

He watches as Marco is pulled away by some man wearing a top hat, kind of weird fashion but Ace shouldn't judge since his brother also wears a top hat. Then he looks down at his cup and sighs. 

Should he wait for Marco? Or just leave now? Those were hard decisions to make because he wanted to talk to Marco, but he can't talk when Marco isn't there. So now what? He asks himself, awkwardly tapping his foot on the well maintained grass. 

Ace feels bummed out when he looks in Marcos' direction to find him gone. Figures, maybe he was only looking for a quick lay, not that Ace was complaining since he is looking for the same thing. But it bums him out that he isn't interesting enough to keep Marco around for longer than 20 minutes, yes Ace counted. 

With a quiet sigh he tosses the cup in the nearest, less full, bin. He stuffs his hands into his jeans pocket, fumbling to shove his phone and apartment keys away to make room, and stomps away from the fire pit. He doesn't miss the look he gets from Smoker, who so happens to be standing close to the place leading away from the fire towards the exit, yet he doesn't even care. 

He doesn't have any obligations to care in fact. So he carries on, just about out of the yard and onto the driveway when a familiar feminine voice calls out for him. 

"Ace! Ace where are you going?!" 

Ace only turns his head enough to see out of his side view and shouts over his shoulder. "I gotta head home before I get too drunk! The party was great, loved it!" He continues walking, not bothering to look back or stop when Izo asks him to. 

Disappointed, sad and hungry, Ace walks home, thinking about what a failure tonight was. 

Meanwhile back at the party, Izo paces the porch, waiting for Marco to come back out. When he does, he's pretty pissed.

"What do you mean he's gone?" 

Izo shrugs his shoulders, trying to be as neutral as possible seeing as Marco was definitely drunk. "He said he had to go home." He tries a light tone, not wanting to anger the blonde anymore. "And I can't hold people against their will." 

Marco nods his head in understanding, but he still looks a bit moody. "What a shame, he was a looker too. Nice face, nice hair, cute freckles and a really delicious looking ass." Marco groans at the image of Ace "I bet it tastes delicious too."

"Marco stop! You're too drunk for this!" Izo fans his face, blushing furiously at Marcos' very erotic description.

The blonde laughs, ruffles Izos' hair and turns back to the door. "Well, no point in staying out here now. I'm going to bed." Izo doesn't get a chance to change his mind when the sliding door slides shut and Izo is left staring at his own reflection. 

This whole party full of attractive people and his brother couldn't find one person to take interest in, besides Ace. Izo sighed into his hand, feeling really frustrated with his backfired plan. 

Inside, Marco was frowning while ascending the stairs that lead up to his room on the very top floor of the huge house. He really wanted to get to know Ace more. Truly he did. 

Marco had kept an eye on him the moment the red hoodie wearing guy walked in. Looking lost and bored, but also uneasy yet still remaining attractive as hell. His face was so soft looking, but his eyes held an edge to them that made Marco weary of approaching at first. Hell, he wasn't going to until Izo caught his wandering eyes on the guy. 

Sadly though, it wasn't meant to be since the cute freckled man left without a trace of his address or phone number. Oh well, Marco thought, it was a smallish town and he could always search up the other on social media. But wouldn't that be weird? 

All thoughts of the man stopped as soon as his head hit his pillow. Sleep taking him and his drunk mind away. 

~

"So Hina." Sabo starts slowly. He takes an obnoxious slurp of his drink, oblivious to how much it gets on Aces nerves. 

The freckled man just picks at his salad, not feeling so hungry anymore with the approaching subject.

"What about her." His tone is flat. Sabo can tell he hit a rather sensitive nerve, Ace has his eyes downcast. His mouth set in a thing frown, marring his face with a hurt expression.

The younger blonde treads over his words carefully, "well everyone sort of had an inkling, but that doesn't make it any better Ace." Sabo takes another sip of his drink, this time quieter and continues "you shouldn't feel bad, I mean he was sort of an asshole right?" 

Wrong, Smoker was a genuinely nice guy all around, he was just rough around the edges. 

"Sabo just stop, I don't want to talk about him." Ace practically pleads as he clasps his hands together, discarding the plastic fork in his bowl of greens and sighs loudly. "It's over and he moved on, quicky." 

"Yeah, smokey was a bad guy all along!" 

Luffy adds as he walks into the break room with a box of something. He sets it down on the table, pulls up a chair, and plops down onto it. 

"Ace deserves better than that." 

The ravenette smiles, feeling a bit better. 

"Thanks Lu." 

Sabo smiles too and refrains from taking another sip of his drink. Instead he leans in closer to Ace over the table top.

"Say, have you tried to, you know, get out there yet? It's been over a month you know." 

Ace hums, shurgs, and snags Sabos' drink to take a brief swig. The blonde shouts a "hey!" in protest when Ace returns it with just a quarter left. 

He let's out a loud burp take makes Luffy laugh and Sabo shake his head in disapproval.

"Well now that you mention it, I did meet this really hot blonde guy at a party." He whistles at the memory of a sculpted torso. "He even said I was his type." 

"Really? That's pretty straightforward, sounds like a confident guy." 

Luffy doesn't say anything, he tuned them out as soon as he finished unpacking his lunch out of the big box. The youngest digging in without a care for their conversation.

"Yeah well I wouldn't really know." Ace folds his arms over the tabletop and rests his head against it. "He was drunk and ditched after a few minutes of talking. Some other guy came and pulled him away." 

Curse that tophat wearing guy, stealing his prey.

"Did you get his name at least?" 

"Marco." 

Sabo hums. 

"That's a common name, last name?" 

Ace shakes his head. 

"I didn't get that far, we almost went into why I was there. Could've asked him if he wanted to come home with me." He purses his lips, regretting not staying longer to get his number at the very least. 

The blonde starts, but is breifly cut off when the bell in the front dings loudly. 

"Well I'm done my lunch, Sabo you finish my salad you only had a nutrient bar, Luffy, just don't get too messy." 

The eldest brother slides out of his chair, slips on his coat and grabs a clipboard by the entrance.

There's another ding and Ace picks up the pace because he really hates that bell. His eyes are glued to the chart on the clipboard, there's nothing scheduled so whoever this walk-in is, is in luck. 

"Hi, yes, welcome to the Foosha veterinary clinic, how may I-" 

"Ace?" 

"Help.....you." Ace drops the clipboard, startled by that familiar voice. "Oh fuck, shit, I mean whoops!" He groans, feeling like an idiot once again in front of Marco, and bends over to snatch his clipboard from the floor. 

Marco snickers at his cursing. Then realizing what he showed up for. He takes the shoebox nestled under his armpit and carefully places it on the ledge of the desk. He rubs the back of his neck and starts explaining.

"I was driving to work, but I stopped to grab coffee and when I came back, this uh." He grimaces and lifts the cover open to reveal a horribly malnourished cat suffering on the bottom. Ace gasps loudly and rushes over to take the box. "I found her, on the hood of my car." 

Ace coos at the poor cat and looks at Marco. His eyes are sad, and Marco feels conflicted between offering words of comfort or just plain out kissing him. He goes with the words. "I searched for the best vets and found this place had great reviews so I...." he gestures to himself and around the store. "Came here." 

The younger man raises both brows, impressed that Marco actually took the time to find a sick, abandoned cat a nice place to get better at. What's more is that Marco seems genuinely concerned for the poor creature. Not a lot of people care these days and it makes Aces' job twice as hard because he doesn't need to unofficially adopt anymore animals. 

"Well," he says with a confidence, looking at at the cat in the box and back to Marco. He bats his eye lashes unintentionally and smirks. "You brought her to the right place, don't worry. And thank you." 

"Thank you?" Marco asks, his lidded eyes opening a tad bit in surprise.

"Yeah, not a lot of people would do this, you know." It's his turn to gesture and does so by nodding to the cat. "Find the best place and take time out of their busy lives. Hell, they would just remove the cat." He frowns, shakes his head clicks his tongue.

"Ace? What's going on?" Sabo walks out from the hallway, fixing the cuffs of his own coat and stops when he sees Ace talking to Marco.

"Oh." He shoots Ace a smirk and looks at the other blonde, raises a brow and looks back to Ace. Silently asking him "who is this?" 

"Ah, Sabo perfect timing." Instead of giving in he hands Sabo the box and explains the circumstances. Sabo is ushered away to give the cat immediate treatment.

Now Ace is left alone with Marco, and he suddenly feels shy at the tension between them. 

"You can um, just sign for it, we won't charge you anything seeing as it's a stray and all that." Ace begins ghe ramble on about this process, thankful they're at his work place and not alone somewhere that requires making up words. 

Marco shakes his head. "If it's possible, I'd like to claim ownership over the cat as soon as she's better." 

Ace quickly looks up, his eyes are wide in surprise. "Y-you would?" Marco gives a small nod and smiles. 

"Gives me another reason to come back and see you." 

Butterflies. That's all Ace feels in his gut when Marco extends a hand to trace his features but catches himself when Luffy, the fucking cockblock, calls for his older brother. 

"I have to go anyways, but, I'll be back." Marco leans in to whisper seductively in Aces ear, making the tips turn cherry red. "But I'm not leaving, or letting you leave without company." Marco chuckles at the cute display of a flustered Ace. He's out the door, a sly smirk on his face. 

Ace just stares in a daze, then he checks back in with reality to discover he didn't get Marcos- oh. 

There's a small business card laying innocently on the desk. He picks it up, examines the writing. Marco's name is printed on it above a fax and phone number. He flips it over to find elegant writing. 

Call me, it says. Another, more personal, number written at the bottom. 

There's a huge grin on Aces' face as he reads it over and over. Luffy asks him what he's looking at and tries to grab the card but his brother is too fast and just holds at bay with one arm. He lifts the card up and away from his little brother. 

"Come on I wanna see!" 

"No Luffy, it's mi- Hey!" 

Sabo sneaks up on the two bickering men and snatches the card.

"Oh my god Ace. That was him?" 

"Who?" Luffy asks, swatting away Aces now lax arm. He sidesteps over to Sabo and peeks at the paper.

"Ace's new boyfriend." 

"Ace has a new boyfriend?!" 

"He is not my boyfriend!" 

Sabo snorts. "Not yet." 

Ace doesn't reply to that. 

"Ohhh." Luffy says, finally clicking it together.

They continue talking about it until a scheduled patient comes in and reminds them that they're at work. 

~

Marco greets his secretary, Haruta, with a friendlier than usual smile. He comments on it asks Marco what's making him so, open.

Feeling too good to keep it all in he obliges his younger brother and tells him all about it. 

"I saw him, he was wearing this plain red hoodie, black jeans and sneakers. He looked so good but lonely I guess." 

Haruta nods, waiting for Marco to ask his opinion. 

"Izo was the one who actually got me to talk. I didn't get to talk long, Vista had people he wanted me to meet and just stole me from Ace. I snuck away to use the washroom quickly before I went back to see Ace but he was gone when I came out." He sighs, remembering the disappointment he felt that night but ends up smilig again. 

"Then this morning on my way to work, someone left a cat on my car hood, I took it to Foosha vet services and there he was." 

Haruta hums. "That's it?" 

Marco shakes his head. "I gave him my number. I think he's interested, he didn't stop me when I tried to touch his face." 

"You what?!" Haruta pulls back, stunned at the reveal. He's known his brother to be a nice guy, but he never really engaged or enjoyed physical contact. He knows that from his brothers past lovers who all broke up with him because he was too distant. But Marco making the first move is news to him. 

"Wow, Marco. He must be special. You never touch people without any reason to." 

Marco frowns, drawing his eyebrows together. He doesn't really get it. "What?" Haruta makes a face and blows out air.

"You're so dense sometimes it makes me wonder why dad gave you the promotion."

The blonde rolls his eyes. He is not dense, he's just really serious about Ace. His other exes were just a thing of the moment, experimenting if he may. 

They were interesting, attractive, nice, but kind of too alike to him and his attitude. It made him feel like he was dating himself, or that they were just friends so he didn't try to fight it when they initiated the breakup. In fact he welcomed them. 

But Ace. From the moment he caught sight of that wavy hair and those freckles. He felt uncharacteristically attached. Like he was meant to have someone like him in his life despite not even knowing his name or anything else about him. 

Of course, after a bit of digging, he found out that Ace was indeed not straight, and most importantly, single. Marco was shocked when he heard it from Jinbe, who found out from one of his friends. 

It made him happy, but incredibly pissed that someone was stupid enough to let such a catch like Ace go for some woman. Well, he couldn't really say since he didn't know the whole story, so he would hold his tongue until he gets to know Ace enough and hopefully gets him to be his. 

The pace at which Marco found hisself falling was ridiculously fast. It was scary too. He had never felt so eager, so clingy, so, alive with anyone before. 

The reactions Ace gave him, even if it were only twice he got them, was highly addictive. His cheeks puffing out and tinging red. His brows arching and mouth fixed in an adorable pout, God, he wanted to see more. 

But he wouldn't rush Ace, not after finding out he was just recently single and try to restrain himself. Besides, he had a lot patience for things like this. 

"I got the promotion because I'm older and smarter." It's a matter of fact tone he usually uses on Haruta just because he's the youngest of them all. It works, as usual, to piss off the younger who shoos him away.

"Well get to work, go, now." 

Marco walks away with a chuckle. His day was going to be good, he hopes Aces day will be too.


	2. Chapter 2

Ace ends up not having a good day, or a nice week. Now that he thinks about it, maybe he doesn't really have a nice life. Not that he knew Marco wished for him to have a good day to begin with.

In fact, Ace has a rather miserable week.

The drag of being cheated on makes him spiral into a state of depression. It isn't really the thought of losing Smoker, it's the thought of how he lost him that makes it so fucking agonizing. He tries to call Smoker, tries to get his attention to come and grab his shit before Aces' hidden arsonist awakens and he ends up throwing a flaming box of hoodies and jeans out of his apartment window.

Stashing that thought away for a rainy day, he looks outside to see the fast moving clouds from the morning have all but disappeared. A bright blue hue is all he can see, aside from other buildings obscuring the view. It's his day off from the vet, thankfully. He would've went mad if he had to spend another day unofficially adopting more animals. The increase of people neglecting their companions makes Aces heart break even more.

If he could, he'd own every single animal in the entire world. He'd set them free, let them live life to the fullest like what his parents were doing right now. Living their retirement out on a tropical island, by retirement he means opening a whole sanctuary for animals. His mother insisted and she always gets her way, it also doesn't help that his dad is more than willing to provide her with everything.

Ace wonders if that's where he gets his spoiled attitude and people pleasing traits from. No, he most definitely did. His parents aside, Ace wonders, and wonders some more- about what he should do exactly.

He knows that Smoker won't take him back. Yes, as foolish as it is, Ace misses him. Luffy and Sabo, along with Koala, are working at the veterinary clinic. Makino is in some European city, enjoying her honeymoon with uncle Shanks. Garp is completely out of the question, he doesn't even know why he considered it to begin with.

Maybe, just maybe, Marco would make adequate company. Besides, it was Friday after all, a good night of drinking couldn't hurt. He hasn't massaged the guy yet, despite keeping his business card on hand at all times, just in case an emergency happened. Well, this could be considered an emergency.

Deciding with that plan, Ace flipped over on his lounger and giddly sent the man a message, maybe adding a flirt in there. Virtual Ace was much more bolder than reality Ace.

~

The business meeting took longer than Marco expected it to. There was so many graphs he had to discuss, folders he had to go through, contacts to call, and people to get on board with the project. It was stressful.

If he had to see one more graph in the same hour he'd pull what was left of his hair out and glue it to the damn laptop screen. Luckily it was quitting time, and a Friday at that. All the proposals he had set up could wait until Monday.

He let out a sigh, releasing some tension and relaxed into the posh chair. With one hand pinching the bridge of his nose, massaging the marks his glasses left behind, he scrolled through his work phone quickly. He sent a group email out to his employees, wishing them a good weekend and tossed the cursed thing onto his desk.

For a good minute he relished in the peaceful atmosphere, enjoying the tranquility, until a buzz from his personal phone brought him out of the moment. He groaned loudly, hoping to god it wasn't his brothers texting, and fished the device out of his slacks.

It was an unknown number, but the content was enough to put a name to the person. The text also brought a smirk to his face.

**UN: Hey, are you free? I was thinking we should meet up today, just the two of us. Maybe we could get to know each other more personally ;)**

The emoticon was a little outdated but he liked the touch it added. It made him forget all his worries about next week as he replied with an equally enthusiastic response.

For once, just this once- unless it went well- he'd take his brothers advice and let go on a Friday night. He was planning to spend the next two days watching documentaries about the world wars, to hell with being called a history buff, they were interesting.

Marco left the office with a spring in his step, a smile on his face, and a little after thought of Ace's blushing face.

~

Ace fussed over his clothing for hours until the meeting time approached. He didn't know what to wear at all.

Hell, he hadn't gone on a proper date since his high school years. Yeah, he never went on a date with Smoker, which on hindsight should've been a red flad for him.

But pushing the past, well, in the past. He settled on something simple and rushed out the door, not really checking if he missed anything. It was a given that he didn't live far from Shakky's bar.

The place wasn't really popular, not like Party's bar -which was unfortunately closed for awhile- but it would have to do. He just hopes that Marco isn't a picky person, the Rolex on his wrist better be a gift and not some personal touch to show off.

Wrapped up in his thoughts, he realizes that he's already in front of the bar. It looks fairly full. Ace isn't surprised at all, considering it's a Friday evening and happy hour just ended.

The summer heat is all but gone and he gets a chill down his spine when he spots a mop of blonde tuffs peeking from a booth seat. It's not that hard to guess who it is, nobody else would wear their hair like that, but Marco makes it look surprisingly good.

He checks his phone quickly, the time is a little passed what they agreed on but, he can say he's fashionably late. With nothing else between him and Marco, other than the door, he heads in and waves a greeting to Shakky who's currently chatting with Rayleigh.

He shoots the older man a cheeky grin and strolls up confidently to Marco. Ace doesn't say a word until he slips onto the worn out leather, smiling brightly as lazy eyes look up from the menu to him.

The other returns a lazy smile and Ace knows he made the right decision.

Marco feels his smile widen when the ravenette starts with playful banter.

"I hope this seat wasn't taken, and if it is that's too bad. Their loss your gain."

The older man laughs, relaxes his shoulders and leand forward a bit.

"Oh? Really now?"

Ace may have played that off smoothly but deep down the panic is rising. Though that gracious laugh quells it just as fast.

"Mhm!" He hums out while grabbing his own menu from the side of the booth. Ace doesn't have to look at the food listed, he just wants to know what the serve for alcohol. It's his first time drinking at Shakky's, he usually goes to Makino's since she always makes sure he gets home safe.

Tonight however, he's with company and not a heartbreak.

~

Marco is fumbling with his car keys. He keeps missing the key hole and dropping them onto the floor of the drivers side.

It's no thanks to a completely passed out Ace that he has this sort of trouble on hand. Marco tries to recall how it escalated so quickly.

At first they were flirting, eating, and drinking casual beer. The night was perfect, really perfect, until Ace got up to use the washroom. He barely lifted his foot an inch off the ground, when suddenly he went swooning over and straight into Marcos hurriedly out stretched arms.

The patrons around the bar quieted down, watching the scene unfold. The awkward silence only broken by a single person who was laughing off in the background. He didn't recognize the person. Marco was pretty sure he'd recognize someone with that type of fiery red hair spiked up and held together by a pair of welding googles.

"Fuck, Ace man, you are a hoot!" The guy clutched his gut and keeled over, laughing away as his friend stared at him.

There's another person in the bar too, sighing loudly and murmuring something about Ace that Marco couldn't quite catch. He's old, with his long hair a bright silver and eyes full of mirth as he walks over to Marco.

"Don't look too freaked out." He says over the red heads laughter. "He's always been like this."

The man then introduces himself as Rayleigh, an "acquaintance" of Ace's, and tells Marco to just take him home.

He also mentions that he'd put the bill on Ace's tab, saying that it was the ravenettes fault for not being more cautious.

Now here Marco is, on the verge of freaking out with Ace peacefully snoring away in the passenger's seat.

When one goes on a first date, they do not take passing out in the middle of it into account. He will definitely note this for next time. That is if Ace is up for a next time.

  
~

The next day, Ace is crying on his brothers shoulder.

"I blew it Sabo!" He takes a break in his cries, wiping his snot on his arm and then leaning back onto Sabo.

"I- I fucking had a narcoleptic attack! Right in the middle of the restaurant!"

Sabo holds his tongue, he knows from personal experience that it really isn't uncommon for Ace to do that. But putting this into a different perspective, it differs greatly from those times.

"Hey, cheer up Ace. I'm pretty sure he had a good time, before you, you know." He makes a face and forces out the next words. "Passed out...."

Ace whines louder and pushes himself off of Sabo. He falls back onto his couch and pouts. He really liked Marco.

The way things went last night made him feel refreshed. It gave him hope that he could get over Smoker. He knows it's weird but he feels a strong connection with the older man.

He can't explain it but he knows for a fact that feelings don't just blossom out of nowhere. It took him a long while to get around the idea of dating smoker, took him even longer to make it official because of his trust issues. He should've listened to those issues then, but now, with Marco. It was like all those walls he carefully tried to build up again came crashing down.

Caribbean blue water pouring in, soothing his aching heart and swallowing him whole.

Marco made him feel comfortable.

"Why don't you try talk to him?" Sabo opens his mouth again, right after Ace calms himself down. Much to the freckled mans annoyance, but it wasn't a bad idea.

"Okay." Ace pauses, thinks for a bit and sighs. "Maybe you're right." He grabs his phone and presses the home button but nothing. Then it hits him. "Just, let me charge my phone first, it's been uhh." He scratches the back of his neck. "Dead since last night."

Sabo whirls around on the sofa and glares at Ace.

"You were complaining this whole time that he hasn't called you when your phone wasn't even on?!"

Before Sabo had the chance to berate Ace and terrorize him with the cushions. The older brother ran off with a giddy laugh.

There was still hope yet to his hopelessness.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, in a more luxurious neighborhood. Where the houses were built like Coliseums and cathedrals. Marco sat in his small one bedroom house.

He had a bowl of pretzels in one hand and his phone resting in the other. It turns out that his original plans came back, seeing as Ace wasn't replying, and he didn't want to talk to any of his brothers.

It was strange. Usually he wouldn't feel so anxious after a bad date with other people, though Ace wasn't like other people. He was enigmatic, funny, cute to Marco and just sinfully sexy.

His hair was attractive, his burned hands, his exposed collarbones, his chiseled face, his button nose, his eyebrows, his lips, his everything. Ace just existing was attractive to Marco and that excited him. It made him want to give it his all for once.

To make a grandiose effort just to be by Ace's side, for as long as he could. It should've freaked him out that he was falling this hard after only one terrible date that barely led them any where, but.

He couldn't help the pull.

It was like he was Mercury, orbiting Ace's sun. He doesn't care if he gets burned for getting to close. He's willing to take that risk now.

After last night, with how relaxed he felt in that stiff seat, he's not sure if he could hold back and be patient any longer.

Marco can just see it now.

Him and Ace, happy together.

Turning his phone on, he's faced with a painful reminder that reality is cruel. And the world is crueler. He's still listening to his documentary despite the thoughts plaguing his mind.

At this point, he's not sure if he wants to finish it.

Lifting his torso off the love seat, he places the bowl of pretzels on the counter and is about to grab his remote when the phone in his hand rings to life. It's Ace, and in record time, he answers it.

"Hello?" It may sound rushed, kind of out of breath but who cares really.

"Hey... Marco." Ace's reply sounds awkward, a little forced and it makes the blondes stomach hurt.

There's a voice in the background, shouting at Ace to stop being a coward and talk already. Marco doesn't have the time to ask when Ace starts again.

"Listen, about last night I..."

He takes a deep breath as Marco holds his, waiting for rejection.

But it never comes.

"I'm sorry I feel asleep. I should have gave you a warning before, but it slipped my mind, and I was excited about last night, and going on a date with a hot guy. Oh god I'm rambling. Sorry. But um, I kinda have narcolepsy?" Ace winces at himself on the other end while Marco wears a relieved smile.

"You think I'm hot huh?"

Ace sputters from his side and clears his throat, "well, y-yeah. Of course!" He ends up telling someone named Sabo to fuck off for laughing at him.

Marco leans back on his couch and lets out a long sigh that catches Aces attention. "Did I call at a bad time? I could call again, if you're busy." Marco hums.

"Actually no, I'm not busy, just. Relieved."

There's an awkward laugh from Ace and silence ensues.

Ace doesn't really know what to say now, but Marco has an idea.

"How about we have a makeup date. Right now here at my place?" He bites his bottom lip, nerves setting off as he waits half a minute for Aces reply.

"Sure, I mean yes. I'd like that."

Marco rises from his seat, still on the phone with Ace and tells him to get ready. They hang up the moment Marco reaches his car door and doesn't waste time hopping in.

He zooms out of his neighborhood faster than what he usually does when he's late for work. It's silly of him, but he hasn't seen Ace since last night and he already misses him.

Fingers crossed the younger doesn't pass out on him again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sue me if I love awkward phone calls, sexual tension, and falling in love too quickly. 
> 
> Well, it took me a month to finish that chapter. I kept going through paragraphs, trying to make it work and fit in my image. And well this pretty much fits the bill.
> 
> This is kind of based off one of my relationships from a few years ago, and T.M.I, we did the dirty right away. But, I didn't fall in love fast with him. My current significant other, I fell for him right off that bat. 
> 
> So yes, this is really just me working out things on my part hahahaha. 
> 
> I don't know why I can't just let them have a normal date without interruptions, what the fuck is my problem. 
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Based off personal feelings i felt after going to a party and yadda yadda. Also a little bit inspired by Jack Staubers amazing Oh Klahoma. 
> 
> Also, scrapping my sandcastles. I don't like the direction it's taking, it's not how I planned and I will be fixing it within the months to come. I also have yet to start a requested fic for Lawlu that I will start as soon as the second chapter is done and uploaded.
> 
> I'm sorry to those who're excited and following the Sandcastles fic, I hope you understand my reasons for the hiatus I'm taking on it. 
> 
> Enjoy this two shot fic of my boys and thanks for reading!


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